Abstract:
Iranian researchers managed to produce magnesium oxide nanoparticles at one-tenth the price of their foreign counterparts widely used in a variety of industries such as catalysis.

Iranian Researchers Produce Low-Cost Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles

Iran | Posted on February 20th, 2010

"We succeeded in producing magnesium oxide nanoparticles required for a national research project. The compound is a vital ingredient in alumina ceramics. Its high price and limited availability to this product motivated us to take efforts which finally led to a profitable and high value-added manufacturing," Hamid Reza Baharvandi, the researcher in chief, informed the INIC.

"To be precise, each kilogram of the nanoparticle now can be produced at slightly less that one-tenth of price of the available foreign counterparts," he added.

Noting that different ratios of ammonium oxalate and magnesium sulfate were applied as precursor, Baharvandi reiterated that the triggered chemical reaction yielded magnesium oxalate nanopowder.

"Afterwards, the obtained nanopowder was separated from ammonium sulfate solution and undergone some special washing processes to end up as pure magnesium oxalate nanoparticles. Quality and particle sizes of the prepared powders were examined through several SEM, PAS and XRD tests. Further thermal treatments were applied in a furnace as a post-purification calcination step," he said.

The Iranian scientist boasted that the technology developed is capable of production of magnesium oxide particles ranging from 30 nanometers to 100 microns.